Chewing Gum Promotes Alertness

A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Physiology & Behavior suggests that chewing gum can keep you more alert. Although the precise mechanism by which gum enhances alertness is unclear, the results showed that vigilance, mood, heart rate and EEG improved significantly over those who didn’t chew gum. For instance, chewing participants completed a vigilance task more efficiently with shortened reaction time than non-chewers. Additionally, chewing gum increased heart rate and beta brain activity. In total, chewing seemed to boost several of the major indicators of alertness.